Dade Cop Chosen For Boynton Chief

City Votes Today On Gage Appointment

January 30, 1996|By JIM Di PAOLA Staff Writer

BOYNTON BEACH - — In the search for a new police chief, the third time is the charm.

Marshall Gage, an assistant police chief in North Miami Beach, will become Boynton Beach's next police chief if city commissioners approve his contract today. "I'm very excited and looking forward to starting," Gage said on Monday. "I believe in a strong partnership with the community."

Gage was the third of the three finalists to be offered the post. City Manager Carrie Parker, who recommended Gage for the job, announced a special commission meeting today at 6 p.m. for the final step of the hiring process.

If the commissioners approve, Gage, a 22-year police veteran, will be paid a $75,000 salary and will begin on March 1.

Gage, married with two children, has a bachelor's degree in professional studies from Barry University, is an FBI National Academy graduate and is credited with gearing up a community policing program in North Miami Beach.

His community policing efforts led to an invitation for Gage to speak on the subject during an international police seminar in 1993.

Strengthening a partnership with residents is one of many goals city officials want expanded throughout the 133-person police force.

"I believe we're looking for somebody who can come in here and really put the Police Department back on line and fighting crime," Mayor Jerry Taylor said. "He will need to build the morale in the department."

Morale has not been a strong point in the department, which has been called racist by black residents and unresponsive to community needs by others. Last summer, Police Chief Thomas Dettman announced his retirement on the same day a city audit concluded that morale in the department "stinks."

Officers complained Dettman did not include them in plans to change the direction of the Police Department from traditional law enforcement measures to a community policing philosophy.

The audit did say, however, that Dettman had made strides in hiring minority officers and had toughened the Internal Affairs investigations concerning police wrongdoing.

Police spokesman Sgt. Chip Kuss said most of the officers have been anxious to learn who their new boss would be.

"Most of the guys are standing by and saying, `Let's give the guy a chance, and let's see what happens,'" Kuss said.

The selection process took a few unexpected turns as some of Parker's finalists decided not to take the job.

James Williams, police chief in Decatur, Ill., turned down the city's offer last week, saying family reasons and his age played a factor in not taking the job. Williams, a popular Decatur native, said he was not sure he wanted to try to revamp another department toward the community policing philosophy after spending 20-plus years in law enforcement.

Boynton Beach then made an offer to Samuel Williams, a major with the Metro-Dade Police Department. But he also turned down the job.

"He said he had a very good offer in the private sector," Taylor said.

So city officials re-interviewed Gage and another finalist, and gave the nod to Gage. He is expected to attend a news conference tomorrow to explain his plans for Boynton Beach.